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A Framework for Management Research
Presenting Research to Managers
Management researchers have a responsibility
to make the results of their investigations useful to managers and
other policy makers. Many managers are not conversant with research
methods or language and others don't have the time or inclination
to study them. Therefore it is incumbent on the investigator to
translate findings into usable conclusions and to use proven
dissemination methods.
The plan for disseminating research results should be
part of the formal proposal that is submitted to the scientific review
committee. There are explicit review criteria related to both the value
of the research and the dissemination plan. For example, the intended
impact and the method for disseminating the results is part of the HSR&D
Scientific Review and Evaluation Board (SREB) review. The plan should
take into account who the audience is—who is going to care about these
results.
Working with clients to prepare a report that meets
their needs will facilitate the use of the research results. Research
results must be succinctly summarized and transmitted to managers in
easy-to-use reports and formats. To be useful and accessible to the
managers, the executive summary or highlights are the most important
section of the report. Executive summaries are not research abstracts.
Rather, summaries or highlights describe briefly what the study is
about, with the barest minimum description of methodology, if any,
and report key findings translated into conclusions or implications.
The remainder of the report can include the detail and the methodology,
which can be placed in the appendix. A draft report should be reviewed
with the client, looking at all of the potential target audiences and
tailoring it accordingly.
If there is to be an impact, it is necessary to
mount a significant effort within the organization or system, to
communicate the research results broadly and deeply, embedding
them in "the way things are done." Only a comprehensive
dissemination effort will result in actual implementation of
findings. A pro-active education program, as contrasted to just
making information available (to those who know to look for it),
can spell the difference between research for its own sake and
applied, action research.
Evidence exists about the basic conditions
necessary for strategic dissemination and the best dissemination
methods to use in health care settings. See MDRC’s
Information Dissemination Program (IDP) Dissemination Note.
Management researchers need to explore a variety
of venues and written and interpersonal methods for disseminating
research results. An MDRC outline to assist researchers in
identifying the target audiences, developing an accessible
presentation and identifying all of the appropriate dissemination
channels to get the message to the target audience can be found
the Research Dissemination
Planning Outline.
There are a number of print dissemination
channels available for management research results that may not
be familiar to all health services researchers. A list of
potential policy and management journals as well as other VA
publications for HSR&D authors can be found at
HSR Management Journals
Publication Information.
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